OK A's fans I know I have been upset at this start and spreading the doom and gllom as much as Sactodavey or anyone else but is it really time to say this season is in the tank? we are 14-20. Yes we are 6 games under .500 but that is not a whole lot. Considering some of the slow starts we've had in other recent years, we are not totally done yet. Yesterday we saw some glimmer of hope as the A's made a comeback. And Eric Byrnes may be going into one of his hot streaks - I for one would rather have him start off slumping and then get hot all year! We have proven hitters who are good (Durazo, Hatty, Kendall) and will eventually come around. The problem this year is that the pitching hasn't been as solid as in years past so we don't have a chance to stay in games with the power clubs. Kotsy is doing great, Ellis has returned to form, and Scutaro has been a great fill in for us. Also Kielty has been a nice suprise. Calero was obviously pitching hurt and we have seen how effective he can be. Juan Cruz is starting to get more confidence. Huston Street has looked mostly great, especially for someone with no MLB experience. Haren has promise and needs to work through it. Blanton has been mostly solid, with no run support. Harden mostly lights out. Zito has been his usual up and down self. Saarloss has given us 5 good innnings most times out, good enough for your 5th starter. We have a stretch here against Boston and New York but we always play better at home, then it's on to SF, and the Gnats haven't exactly been blasting through teams. Then we get a bunch of Tampa Bay and some Cleveland, who haven't been able to reproduce last season's form yet. Then we get Toronto who started off good but have slipped. We on the other hand started slow but eventually we will get hot. It's the law of baseball averages. So before we throw in the towel I think this team has some fight left in it and it will be nice to see some callups as well. Johnson is our 1B or DH of the future and Street our closer of the future. Dotel is typical Dotel he is not very reliable but better than Rhodes was. Well let's all cheer up a bit and remember it could be worse, we could be the Royals or Rockies.

I agree with most of what you said, but I disagree that our pitching hasn't been as good. SURE, there have been some meltdowns, but actually, not many. 2 from Zito, a couple from Haren, one from Saarloos....

But overall, our pitching has been WAY better than expected. Blanton and Harden have kept us in games only to see our offense take a poop at home plate. In fact, it's sad, cause both guys should have like 3 more wins now....damn shame.

Hopefully something will work out soon - cause if it's not one things, it's the other.

I agree with both you guys, the sky isn't fallen...yet. Schedulers were helping the beast of East by having 12 against us. Yankees, Red Sox and so-called excerpts are already "penciling a sweep" during the homestand. Hope the A's will make them eat crow. Remember Boston, you don't have the last at-bat and we not afraid of Keith Foulke.

The A's still have an ERA in the top 7 I think in MLB, but that doesn't help you at all when you offense is barely scoring 3 runs a game.

It's just been a massive collapse of this offense and we aren't doing anything different to change it.

Macha or Beane hasn't been changing the order to try to mix things up and the A's still don't play smallball which this team has a better chance of succedding then playing the type of offense that the A's have been using when they had power hitters throughout the lineup.

you guys should be commended for your possitivity but you're insane to think this is anything more than a .500 club....

and the schedule!!!! the schedule!! these guys look so hopeless.....

if these guys have excelled at anything this year it's failure to capitalize on oppurtunities....so playing some supposedly weaker clubs is good.......like....they should take advantage right? but.......

these A's guys look like they're ripe to get they ass whooped....they're not taking advantage of a fly ball this team......

and juan cruz.....looks like he has great stuff.....but it also looks like he gets distracted by hot dog rappers and pine tar.....................

It's mind boggling when Kendall and Byrnes each hit two doubles and then our best hitter Kotsay has an ofer for the night! Notice when Cruz got sent to the bench the guy from AAA came in and 123....time to jolt the team and call up more AAA!